Lead-acid batteries are used in a wide variety of vehicles, such as trucks, cars, and the like. Such batteries typically are referred to as SLI (starting, lighting, and ignition) batteries. Although they may have various features, such as vents, terminals, handles, and the like, which project somewhat from the battery, lead-acid SLI batteries typically have a generally rectangular shape with a top, bottom, end, and side walls.
Such batteries necessarily must be mounted in a secure manner within the vehicle and connected to the vehicle's electrical system. The mounting devices typically include a relatively flat support surface, often referred to as a "tray", on which a battery may be placed. The battery then is secured to the tray by a variety of assemblies, usually referred to as a "hold-down". Examples of hold-downs include molded heat shields and bars, plates, L-shaped restraints, and various other devices which engage or abut the top or bottom of the battery.
The specific design of battery mounting devices and terminal connections, however, usually is determined by the vehicle manufacturer with specific battery dimensions in mind and with little or no concern over whether it will be compatible with batteries being used in similar vehicles. Thus, the specific configuration and dimensions of battery mounting devices vary a great deal from vehicle to vehicle, and likewise the external dimensions of batteries, for which battery mounting devices are designed, vary widely. Moreover, few, if any, battery mounts provided as original equipment in vehicles are adjustable to any appreciable degree so that variations in external dimensions of batteries may be accommodated.
The result of this approach to vehicle manufacturing is that a particular vehicle may accept only a limited number of battery types, and a battery manufacturer has to supply a large number of different battery types to fully supply the vehicle population. For example, automotive and light truck SLI batteries currently are classified by the Battery Council International into 93 different groups based on the terminal configuration and size of the battery, and when differences in electrical characteristics are factored in, battery manufacturers have to meet hundreds of different sets of battery requirements. The more common variations in the size of batteries involve their height, there being a high profile (approximately 8"), and a low profile (approximately 71/4"), and their width, there being a narrow (approximately 61/2"), a standard width (approximately 7"), and a wide (approximately 71/4").
Over the more than 15 years or so that battery manufacturers have been faced with the seemingly ever-increasing proliferation of battery sizes, considerable attention has been directed to the problems associated with providing so many different sizes of batteries. This considerable effort has resulted in a wide variety of suggested solutions; some of which are still being used and many which were never commercialized or were commercialized but have fallen out of use.
For example, certain automobile aftermarket suppliers have developed hold-downs which are intended to be more compatible with different sizes of batteries. Examples of such attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,233 to J. Silverstein, U.S. Pat. No. 2,979,146 to A. Fogle, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,374 to E. Moore.
Likewise, battery manufacturers have made various attempts to render a single battery more compatible with different vehicle mounts and connections. One approach that has achieved substantial commercial success is to provide the battery with what have been called dual-terminals, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,701,386 and 4,645,725 to W. Kump et al. Such dual-terminal batteries may be satisfactorily used regardless of whether the battery application requires top terminals or side terminals. This type of battery has stood the test of time and still is in widespread use, offering substantial appeal to mass merchandisers of SLI replacement batteries.
In an effort to achieve even greater standardization, battery manufacturers have provided smaller batteries with height and/or width spacers to make them compatible with mounting devices designed for larger batteries, e.g., to adapt a low profile battery to high profile battery mounting devices or a standard width battery to wide battery mounting devices.
One type of such spacers includes a generally H-shaped member which is designed to lie across the top of a battery. This type of top spacer, however, does not provide the battery with sufficient versatility. For example, such H-shaped spacers do not successfully adapt a low profile battery to a non-vertically adjustable high profile battery mounting device which includes molded heat shields.
Another general approach to compatabilizing the battery is to provide it with a bottom spacer which is attached to the bottom of the battery. Various types of such bottom spacers are known, such as the spacers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,550 to J. Jergl et al. Such spacers include height spacers, which increase the effective height of a battery, width spacers, which increase the effective width of a battery, and length spacers, which increase the effective length of a battery. Despite the advantages of spacers of this type, however, they still do not provide a battery with complete compatibility with the full range of battery mounts. For example, a height spacer would not facilitate the accommodation of a small battery into a battery mount designed for wider batteries, and vice versa.
Moreover, the manner in which spacers are to be used often is unclear to a consumer. It is not always easy or practical, however, to provide printed instructions on the battery or on packaging associated with the battery. The battery might not accommodate such instructions, or they may detract from the appearance of the battery.
Despite the considerable efforts over the last 15 years or so, however, there still exists a need for a system that can be readily adjustable to accommodate a single SLI battery in more of the many different types of vehicle battery mounts designed for wide variations in battery dimensions.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a multi-functional spacer for a battery such that the battery is compatible with a wider range of battery mounting devices. A related and more specific object is to provide a single spacer which can render a smaller battery compatible with battery mounts designed to accommodate taller batteries and wider batteries.
Another object of this invention is to provide such spacers which can be easily and economically manufactured.
A further object is to provide means on a spacer by which instructions as to the use of the spacer may be communicated more readily to a user thereof.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such spacers wherein all of the above-mentioned advantages are realized.
Those and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.